A Loss of One of Their Own
by Rescue45
Summary: The title says it all.


A Loss Of One Of Their Own

Chapter 1

Danger Lurks

Starsky and Hutch met Adam Lewis at 'The Pits' on Thursday evening after he got off work. They have known Lewis and his family for eight years now. When Lewis decided that he wanted to become a detective a couple of months ago, they were more than happy to help him. Starsky and Hutch had been meeting with him to give him some pointers and tonight was the last chance before the big day. Tomorrow, Lewis will be taking his final test. Starsky and Hutch were not worried about their friend, they knew he would pass. He was a very bright man and would do just fine.

Lewis, on the other hand was not so sure of his abilities. He was nervous. Starsky and Hutch remembered how worried and nervous they were when they took their detective exam. They were glad to help Lewis the past couple of months. Huggy served the men a couple of beers and Lewis asked a few last minute questions then stated that he had to get home to his wife and children.

When Lewis opened the front door, he was greeted by four feet running towards him, "Daddy," they both yelled as his young daughter jumped into his arms and his son gave him a big hug. "Hi, kids." He smiled as he picked his daughter up and hugged his son. His wife appeared from behind the kitchen door, "Come on kids and let your dad get in the house before you attack him." She walked over and gave Adam a kiss and hug. "So how'd it go with Starsky and Hutch? Do they think you're ready for the test?"

"Oh, they thought I was ready for it weeks ago. You know those two have really helped me. I've had the best of the best helping me, so if I don't pass it just wasn't meant to be," he said smiling as he kissed his 3-year-old daughter then put her down, "Princess, go wash up for dinner now, okay?"

"Okay, Daddy." The little girl ran into the bathroom to wash her hands and face.

"Adam, you too. Go wash up." He patted his son on the head. His son was eight now and no longer liked to be kissed.

"Okay, Dad." The young boy said as he went into the bathroom.

"You'll do just fine, honey."

After dinner, Lewis was tucking his daughter into her bed and she asked, "Daddy, did you study for your test like Adam has to for his?"

"Yes, I did, April, and Starsky and Hutch helped me." He covered up his little girl and kissed her on the forehead, "I love you, princess."

She rolled over on her side and hugged her doll, "I love you too, Daddy." Lewis got up and turned the light off as he left her room. There was a night light on so she wouldn't be scared of the dark.

Next, he went into his son's room. "Hey, buddy, you all ready for bed?"

His son took his slippers off, pulled back the blanket and crawled into his bed, "Yep, all ready. Dad, good luck on your test tomorrow."

"Thanks, Son. You have your test on state capitals tomorrow, don't you?"

"I'm ready. I've been studying them."

"I know you have. I'm proud of you, son." He bent over and kissed him on the forehead.

"Eww, Dad. Don't kiss me. I'm not a little kid anymore." He squirmed and rubbed the kiss off his forehead.

Lewis laughed, "I'm sorry. I guess I forget that sometimes." He turned the light out as he left his sons room.

The next morning Adam Lewis reported to the testing room at the station. His emotions varied from scared to death, excited, nervous to happy. He would be notified in a couple of days of the results.

Starsky and Hutch were waiting in their regular booth at Kiko's restaurant when Lewis walked in and took a seat. "Well?" Hutch asked.

"I don't know, Hutch. It was hard but I think I did okay. However it goes, I want to thank the two of you for everything you've done for me. I don't mean just helping me the past couple of months but for everything you've done since we first met."

"It's been our pleasure, Lewis. You're one hell of a cop and you're going to be a great detective." Starsky said as Kiko brought their lunches.

Kiko asked Lewis what he wanted but he said that he was going home and having lunch with his wife, Lynn.

Saturday, about 0900, Starsky walked into the kitchen to the smell of Jeanne fixing bacon and eggs. He put his arms around her waist, kissed her and said, "I love you."

She kissed him back saying, "I love you too, dear." She put the bacon and eggs on the plates and they sat down at the kitchen table. Kenny had stayed the night at Davey's so it was just the two of them at home. They weren't sure just what they were going to do today but they had the whole day and were looking forward to spending it together.

Just as they were about to finish eating, Starsky's phone rang. He knew it was Huggy on the other end. Knowing if Huggy was calling this time of day it was probably trouble, Starsky started to just let it ring. "Honey, you know you…"

He cut her off, "Yeah, I know," he said as picked up the phone, "Hi, ya Hug."

Huggy's voice had a sense of urgency to the point of almost being panicky, "Starsky, you got to find Seth and Thompson. They're about to get wasted."

"Wasted? How? By whom?" Starsky asked so quickly that Huggy didn't have time to answer any of his questions.

"They've been working undercover and I just got word their covers been blown. I know they've been working on some drug ring moving into the city. They're in big trouble, Starsk. I tried to call them but there was no answer. Maybe you'll have better luck."

Starsky hung up and quickly dialed Seth's number but there was no answer and then he tried Thompson's and he didn't answer his phone either. "Huggy said Seth and Thompson are in trouble." Starsky said to Jeanne he started dialing Chief Sterling's number.

"Chief, this is Starsky. I just got a call from Huggy saying that Seth and Thompson are about to get wasted. He said their covers been blown."

"Did he say anything else?"

"Just that there isn't much time. Where are they, Chief?"

"They've been working undercover for the past couple months trying to infiltrate a new drug ring moving into the city. Johnson and Reynolds were the only ones who knew what they were working on."

"Well, someone else does now. I'm going to pick up Hutch and go talk to Huggy."

"Starksy…"

"Yes, Chief, I know we're retired. We're just two guys going to a friend's bar to have a drink. If we happen to find out about illegal activities we'll notify the proper authorities."

"Yeah, right. Guess I'd better have Reynolds and Johnson on standby just in case the two of you run into something."

Starsky told Jeanne what Huggy said and she knew he had to find Seth and Thompson before it was too late. Jeanne kissed Starsky goodbye and told him to be careful.

Starsky called Hutch and the two of them walked into The Pits where they saw Huggy serving breakfast to a customer. Starsky and Hutch sat in their usual corner booth, Huggy joined them about a minute later and sat a cup of coffee down in front of each of them. He took a seat in the booth and told them that he knew about the new drug ring trying to set up shop in the city. He had been feeding information to Seth and Thompson for a few weeks on it. He continued to explain that about 0900 two of the men came in and ordered breakfast. He overheard them talking about how they were going to waste a couple of undercover cops trying to join their organization, "They mentioned the names Cooper and Wilson. That's the names Seth and Thompson are going by. I tried to call them but there was no answer."

"You got anything else for us?" Hutch asked as he looked around the restaurant and saw Johnson and Reynolds walking in. "Sterling didn't waste any time in calling in reinforcements."

"What?" Starsky replied wondering what Hutch was talking about. Hutch nodded toward the door and Starsky saw Johnson and Reynolds walking toward them. He waved at his two friends. Huggy left to get more coffee.

Johnson and Reynolds sat in the booth and when he returned with more coffee, Huggy filled them in on what he had heard. Johnson said they knew where Seth and Thompson should be and they were going to start there. Starsky and Hutch wanted to know what they could do or where they could start looking. Johnson looked at Reynolds who slightly nodded. Johnson thanked Huggy and took a sip of his coffee. "Hutch, you could go to their hotel room and check it out for us." Huggy figured this was his cue to exit and let the detectives talk.

Starsky and Hutch looked at each other and without saying a word they held a complete conversation. Johnson and Reynolds knew the two were having another silent conversation. They have seen many of these over the years. Starsky and Hutch nodded and slid out of the booth. Hutch noticing his coffee cup was empty, picked up Starsky's and drank the last of it and asked, "Where's the hotel?"

"It's the one on Park Ave." Reynolds replied.

Starsky picked up his cup saw it was empty, "Hey, I was gonna drink the rest of that," he set the cup back down, frowned and followed Hutch out of the door. Hutch just smiled and didn't say anything.

Chapter 2

On The Injured List

Seth's cover was Dave Cooper and Thompson was using the cover name of Ken Wilson. They picked those first names because they are the first names of Starsky and Hutch and thought it would be funny. The department was putting them up in a fairly nice hotel. They had to keep the façade of having a lot of money so they could make bigger buys. Seth and Thompson didn't mind that at all, they usually ended up in some dump in the seedy part of town.

They had been making small buys from the new dealers in the city attempting to break into the organization and find out who the top man in charge was. They let it be known that they were capable of making larger purchases. Finally, they were making their way up to some of the more important leaders. They were meeting with or calling Johnson or Reynolds daily. This was the biggest case they had ever worked on and they were determined to do a good job.

Today, they were supposed to be at a meet at 1000. That was earlier than their usual meetings but they didn't think anything of it since this time they would be making a bigger buy. This time they would be introduced to the number two man in the organization. The meeting was taking place at an old abandoned house on the East side of town on Baker Street. Seth had called Johnson to let him know where they were going to be. As they were about to get into Thompson's car, two men came up from behind them and pulled guns on them. The tall, dark haired man who held his gun on Seth said, "Not this car. You're coming with us."

"What's the problem? I thought we were going to make a deal?" Seth asked as he put his hands up in the air as the man frisked him. He was glad he didn't have his badge on him. He did have his gun on him and gave a worried glance at Thompson who was also being frisked. They knew there was a chance their covers had been blown. Both their cell phones were taken.

"Hey, what's going on?" Thompson said angrily and he put his arms down. He made a move to strike the shorter, heavy-set man but was hit himself in the stomach so hard he couldn't help but double over.

"Ken!" Seth cried out. He tried to hit the man holding the gun on him but the man threatened to shoot him.

"Shut up and move." The man who had his gun on Thompson said as he nodded toward a silver sedan. Seth and Thompson were both tied up. They could both get out of the ropes but they wanted to let this play out a little further. This could be just the next step to finding out who is leading the latest drug ring to show up in their city.

"Who are you and where are you taking us?" Seth asked as he ducked his head getting into the passenger side of the back seat.

"Never mind our names. They're not important. What is important is the two of you." The tall, dark-haired man said.

"What about us?" Seth asked. He was hoping their covers hadn't been blown but it was looking more and more like they had.

"Don't think we don't know who the two of you really are." The man said as he closed the door after Seth was in.

The shorter man forced Thompson to get in the driver's side back seat and shut the door. "Yeah, we know you're cops. We know your real names are Seth Green and James Thompson."

Seth and Thompson shuttered almost unnoticeably when they heard that. It was Thompson who said, "We're who?"

"Don't insult us. Now we're going to take care of the two of you and no one will ever find out what happened to you." The shorter of the two men said as he pointed his gun at them.

Seth and Thompson knew this was the right time to unbind themselves from the ropes. They had to wait for the right time to make their escape. When the car slowed for traffic, Thompson looked at Seth and ever so slightly nodded and they made their move. They jumped out of the car and ran. The driver pulled over and took a shot and hit Thompson in the back near his left shoulder.

Thompson hit the ground when he felt the burning pain of the bullet that hit him. Seth helped him up and they ran around the corner. Seth found an open door in the alley and helped Thompson inside. Once inside, they were able to hide out of sight. The building they were in appeared to be some kind of old restaurant. Seth saw some old tables and a register on the counter. He looked in the back and there was a chain on the door so no one could enter that way. Seth tipped some of the tables over and moved them close to Thompson to hide him in case someone came in. He took Thompson's shirt off to see the wound. It was bleeding quite a bit and he used the shirt to control the bleeding. The bullet had hit just below Thompson's shoulder blade and he was having a hard time breathing now. "How bad is it?" Thompson asked struggling to breath.

"Well, it doesn't look too good. I need to get you to a hospital."

Seth found some old table cloths on a shelf in the kitchen. He tossed the first two on the ground because they were covered in dust and he couldn't use them but the others appeared to be pretty clean.

He covered his partner up with one to help prevent shock. He also had Thompson lie down, elevated his feet on a big pan he found and folded a couple of the table cloths and put them under his head. Thompson became restless and his breathing became worse, "Can't lie flat. Sit me up."

"Okay." Seth gently helped his partner back into a sitting position, "Is that better?" Thompson nodded. He was getting weaker by the minute and Seth noticed he was becoming diaphoretic and pale. Seth knew he didn't have much time. He had to leave now or Thompson wouldn't make it. "I've got to get you some help."

"Be careful, they're looking for us. Don't get caught."

"Just don't go anywhere." Seth had a worried look on his face. He hated to leave his partner but knew that was the only way to save him.

"Where am I going to go? Don't worry, I'll be right here." His voice was very weak now.

Seth stepped out into the alley very carefully. He knew the men would probably still be looking for them. He ran down the alley and peeked around the corner. Looking both ways he didn't see the men that were after them. He was about to go into a nearby store to phone for help when he saw Starsky's Mustang. Hutch spotted Seth about the same time and told Starsky to stop. Seth told Hutch where Thompson was and that he'd been shot.

It wasn't long before an ambulance arrived and took Thompson to the hospital. They were met there by Sterling, Johnson and Reynolds who were very relieved to see the young detectives were still alive.

They waited in the waiting room for about half an hour for news on Thompson before a doctor finally came out. They all stood up as they saw a middle aged man in a lab coat approaching them. "Which one of you is Seth Green?"

"I'm Seth, how's my partner?"

"I'm Doctor Miller and your partner is in critical condition. Right now we're getting ready to take him to surgery. The bullet is lodged near his left lung and barely missed a major artery. Now, I think the damage can be repaired, but we have to hurry." Dr. Miller allowed Seth to see Thompson before he was taken to surgery.

Seth walked into the small emergency room bay and saw his partner lying on a stretcher with the usual IVs attached, nasal cannula, and other medical necessities attached to his partner. He slowly walked over to the bed, "Well, I guess we blew this one."

"Can't get 'em all or we'd be out of a job." Thompson said weakly as he tried to smile. "Hey, don't look so worried, I'll be fine."

"Just makin' sure. I'll be here when you wake up."The tech came in and Seth patted his partner's hand before leaving.

Starsky and Hutch stayed with Seth until Thompson was out of surgery. The doctor said the surgery went well and he did expect a full recovery but it was going to be a long process. Seth let out a sigh. He was relieved to know that Thompson was going to make it. He didn't care how long the recovery was going to take he was still alive and that's what was important.

Part of Seth wanted to take the rest of the day off but he knew he needed and wanted to find out who kidnapped them and who shot and almost killed his partner. He went with Johnson and Reynolds to the station. Sterling ordered a uniformed officer to guard Thompson until they could apprehend the culprits.

Seth spent the rest of the day searching the computer for the identities of the man who shot Thompson but had no luck. Austin and his partner, Bill Martin, joined him at the station. Starsky and Hutch came by too to lend moral support and to see if there was anything else they could do. Even retired, they just couldn't stay away from the station.

Chapter 3

Assigned a Temporary Partner

The next day Lewis received a phone call from Captain Glass. He knew it was about the detective exam he'd just taken. He wasn't expecting to hear the results until tomorrow. He was nervous as he took the phone from his wife. "Lewis here, Captain."

"That should be Detective Lewis, young man." Captain Glass was smiling. He knew Adam Lewis would be an asset to the detective department and he was glad he was going to be assigned to him.

Lewis smiled as he held his wife close, "Yes, sir. You mean I… I passed?"

"Son, you not only passed, your scores were some of the best I've seen in years. Congratulations. I want to see you in my office in about an hour if you can make it."

"Yes, sir. An hour, I'll be there." He hung up the phone. He was so full excitement he couldn't contain it all and yelled, "I did it! I'm a detective now."

"Honey, I'm so proud of you. Now, didn't I hear your new captain say he wanted to see you in an hour?"

"Yeah, I'd better change and get out of here." He changed his clothes and kissed her and his daughter before he left. His son, Adam Jr., was playing at a friend's house.

Seth was called into Chief Sterling's office. He didn't need to be told why, he knew. He knew he was about to have a temporary partner assigned to him. He didn't like it but he knew it was the department's policy that all detectives work with a partner. He slowly opened the door to Chief Sterling's office and sat down in one of the big tan leather chairs. "How's Thompson this morning?"

"He's doing better. The doctor said he should make a full recovery but it's going to take time. He may be out about three months."

"I'm glad he's doing better. I'm going to the hospital later to see him."

"So, who's the poor soul you're sticking with me until Thompson's back." He was trying to make light of the situation and to get to the point of this visit with the chief.

Most of the detectives worked under Captain Glass, Carter or Jones. Being the Chief, he had his 'special group' of detectives that worked directly under him. It started out being just Starsky and Hutch but now he has what he referrers to as, _his six. _Every time one of them is hurt, he hurts too. Chief Sterling cares very deeply for every man under his command but his three teams have a very special place in his heart. He picked each of his teams very carefully and each adds a unique quality to the makeup of his whole team. Thompson will be out of action for at least three months and it was up to him to pick a new, albeit temporary, partner for Seth.

He's had to pair members of his team up with others in the past so he wasn't sure why it bothered him so much this time but it did. He read through all the files of possible temporary partners for Seth several times. It took him all day and night the previous day before he finally made his decision. Adam Lewis had just been made a detective, he didn't have a partner yet so it seemed the logical choice.

Adam had been on the force for over ten years and the rest of his team knew, liked and respected him. Adam decided a few months ago that he wanted to become a detective and worked as hard as anyone to achieve it. He even worked on a few assignments with Starsky and Hutch before they retired. Chief Sterling knew that Starsky and Hutch had helped Lewis the past couple of months.

Chief Sterling was sitting in his chair, still thinking about his decision when Seth repeated his question, "Chief, who's the poor soul you're sticking with me?"

"First you know it's only until Thompson gets back on his feet, right?"

"Yes, sir. Thompson is my partner. I know you have to assign someone to work with me until he comes back. I'm okay with that."

"Adam Lewis will be your partner until yours is back." He studied Seth's face as if he was looking for approval of the man he had put him with.

"Adam Lewis. Lewis." A smile came across Seth's face, "I remember him. When did he make detective? I knew Starsky and Hutch were helping him but I didn't know he took his test."

"Believe it or not he just passed the test Friday and Captain Glass told him this morning."

"That's great. Thank you, Chief. Is he here? Does he know he's going to be my partner? Well, temporary partner anyway." Chief Sterling was glad to see that Seth was actually excited about being paired with Lewis.

"He should be here any minute and no he doesn't know who his partner is going to be. I wanted to make sure you were okay with it first since he just made detective."

"I'm fine with it. He's been on the force longer than I have. It's not like you stuck some poor rookie with me." He smiled.

"Don't teach him any of your bad habits either. He has to go back to Captain Glass when you're done with him."

Seth laughed, "My bad habits. I have bad habits?"

Sterling picked up his phone and asked his secretary to let Lewis come in now.

Lewis was nervous as he opened the door to the Chief's office. He felt like a little kid being called into the principal's office. He was told he was going to be assigned to Captain Glass and didn't know why he was called to see the Chief. He closed the door behind him and stood in front of Sterling's desk. "Adam Lewis I believe you already know Seth Green."

Lewis hadn't even noticed that Seth was in the room he was so nervous. "Hi, Seth. Yes, sir. I've known Seth for years. I was sorry to hear about Thompson. Is he going to be okay?" The two men shook hands.

"He's going to be fine but he's going to be out a while." He hesitated and the Chief nodded at him. "So, I need a temporary partner. If you think you can handle looking at my beautiful face for a couple of months it'll be me and you."

"Really, you and me? Great! I know it's only until Thompson is back. Thank you, Chief and thank you Seth for taking me on."

"Hey, it's my pleasure to break you in."

"Break me in huh? You know I have been a cop longer than you. I may teach you a few things."

"I'm looking forward to it. Chief our first assignment is to catch the man who shot Thompson, right? You know I want him." Seth said with all seriousness in his voice and the look in his eyes let his chief know he meant every word of it.

"I know you do and I will assign you to the case. But-and this is a strong BUT- I want you to work with Johnson and Reynolds on this."

Seth agreed. He knew it was a dangerous case and with his partner already in the hospital he would appreciate the help.

Seth and Lewis met Johnson and Reynolds at The Pits for lunch where Starsky and Hutch just happened to be. They all sat at a big horseshoe shaped booth. Starsky and Hutch told Lewis they were proud of him and they knew he would pass his test. The six men talked about the case and they agreed that finding the man who shot Thompson was the number one priority.

Chapter 4

A Loss of One Of Their Own

It took Seth and Lewis about two weeks to find the men who were involved in Thompson's shooting. When they made the arrest, Seth showed Lewis the _ask and stare_ interrogation technique he learned from Starsky and Hutch. Lewis was a natural at it. He just sat starring at the suspect while Seth kept asking one question after the other, making the suspect so nervous he couldn't wait to tell them everything he knew. Lewis was so good at it that Seth almost laughed. Together they had received enough information from the suspects to make some pretty impressive arrests. That drug ring would never operate anyplace again.

It had been a long two months but Thompson was making excellent progress. He ended up with an infection and had to stay in the hospital a lot longer than initially thought but he was getting stronger every day and was about to be released from the hospital. Being in the hospital was boring and he was anxious to get back on the streets. He was worried at first about Seth having another partner. He felt like it was his job to watch Seth's back and if anything happened to him he would feel responsible. Seth assured him if anything happened it would not be Thompson's fault. "It's a chance we all take just like when you were shot." Seth reminded him. They talked a long time until finally the nurse ran Seth out saying Thompson needed his rest. Seth said his goodbyes and left for the night saying tomorrow he would be back after work.

Seth and Lewis were getting along good as partners and friends. Almost too good Lewis thought. As he got in the car the next morning, Seth knew something was bothering his temporary partner. "Hey, what's up?"

"Whatda mean?"

"Something's bothering you. I can tell."

"We've been partners that long already, huh?"

"Anything I can help you with, you know I will."

"No. It's nothing you've done or can do. It's just well…"

It suddenly dawned on Seth what was bothering Lewis, "I know. Thompson's going to be back soon and since you've had the best partner you could ever hope for, namely me, you don't want anyone else. Is that it?" He smiled but only to help ease Lewis' mind.

Lewis put his head down and sighed, "Something like that. We get along so well and work so well together. I know Thompson is your partner and I knew that this would be temporary." He hesitated, lifted his head back up and continued, "Oh what the hell, I'll say it. I'm afraid I won't work as well with any other partner as we do."

Seth was about to respond when a call went out for shots fired at a nearby market. Lewis picked up the mike, "Zebra 4 we are in the area and responding."

"10-4, Zebra 4."

Seth brought the car to such a screeching halt that he thought it would make Starsky proud. They both jumped out of the car and could see one of suspects coming out of the store. Seth had his gun drawn and yelled, "Freeze, police."

The suspect dropped his gun and put his hands in the air. As Seth started to walk toward him, another man ran out of the store and raised his gun. He shot Seth in the arm and was about to shoot again when Lewis saw him and jumped between the armed suspect and Seth. The shot that rang out hit Lewis in the neck and he fell to the ground. Other uniformed officers were arriving and one of them took the suspect that Seth had in custody to his patrol car. Seth ran to Lewis who was trying to talk. "Don't talk. You're gonna be fine. An ambulance is on the way." Seth was holding pressure on the wound with his hand and holding Lewis' head in his lap.

"Don't kid yourself, partner. Tell my wife and kids I love them. You tell them for me, okay." He reached his hand up to Seth who grabbed it with his other hand.

"You can tell them yourself." Seth was choking back his tears. He knew in his heart that Lewis was not going to survive.

"No, Seth. We both know. Listen, I'm proud to have had you as my partner."

"I'm honored and proud to have you as a partner too, buddy. I was going to trade you for Thompson."

"Liar." Lewis winced from the pain he was in. Seth was desperately trying to stop the bleeding. "I made it though. I was a detective. You tell my wife I love her, do that for me."

"I'll tell her. I promise, Lewis. I'll tell your kids how brave you are and that you saved my life." Seth replied through tear filled eyes.

"It's okay, that's what partners do. Watch each other's backs."

"Listen, the ambulance is here. You're going to be fine."

"Seth, you're a good partner. Tell Lynn love her." That was the last thing Lewis said. He died in Seth's arms.

Seth refused to go to the hospital until he told Lynn what happened. He said he owed it to her to tell her himself. Reynolds and Johnson were on the scene now and since Seth's wound didn't look too bad they agreed to take him.

Seth sat quietly in the backseat of the car as Johnson made his way through the streets to the Lewis' house. Seth slowly got out of the car and closed the door. Johnson and Reynolds were standing on each side of him. "You sure you want to do this?" Johnson asked as he put his hand on Seth's shoulder. Seth just nodded.

Lynn heard a car pull up and thought it was Adam. She looked out of the window and saw her husband's partner walking toward the door with the other two detectives. As an officer's wife she knew why they were there. She turned and looked at her two children who were watching TV, "Adam, take April and go outside and play in the back yard." There was something about her voice and the tone that let Adam know he needed to do just what she asked and he took his sister out the back door. Lynn didn't open the door at first when she heard Seth knocking. She knew why they were there and some part of her told her that if she didn't open the door it wasn't real. "Lynn, please open the door." It was Seth's voice and she couldn't ignore or put it off any longer. Slowly she opened the door and reached out to Seth and started crying. Without saying a word Seth knew that Lynn knew Adam was gone. He held her and said, "I'm sorry. So sorry."

"What happened?" She asked between the sobs.

Reynolds and Johnson helped Seth and Lynn both to the couch. As she started to sit down she noticed Seth was bleeding. "Seth, you're hurt."

"I'll be fine." He sat down, took Lynn's hand in hers and said, "He saved my life. I was shot and was about to get shot again…" He couldn't finish. He just couldn't say the words as he tried to hold back his own tears.

"It was a robbery. Seth had been shot and Adam jumped between Seth and the gunman before he could get off another shot and kill Seth." Johnson said slowly and as calmly as he could.

"He said to tell you he loves you and the kids. He wanted me to tell you that." Seth managed to say stumbling over the words.

Starsky and Hutch had heard about the shooting and arrived at the Lewis' house. They have known the family for years and needed to be there for Lynn and the kids. Reynolds heard the knock on the door and let them in. Starsky squatted on the floor in front of Lynn and took her other hand. He didn't say anything he just sat there holding her hand. Nothing needed to be said. There was nothing anyone could say that would take away the pain Lynn was feeling right now and they knew that.

Hutch took his gaze off Lynn and looked at Seth, "I think you need to go to the hospital now, Seth. We'll stay with Lynn and the kids."

Seth started to protest but Lynn said, "He died to save you. Don't let that be in vain. Go, Seth, please. Starsky and Hutch will be here with me."

Seth got up to leave when he heard the kids coming in through the back door. Adam looked at Seth and his mother sitting on the couch. He noticed she had been crying and he looked at the others in the room. He recognized them all as people his dad worked with. He ran to his room and shut the door. Lynn started to cry again and went to stand up. Hutch gently sat her back down, "I'll talk to him, Lynn." He walked down the hall to Adam's room.

Johnson and Reynolds took Seth to the hospital and Starsky told him he would see him there later.

April walked over and climbed into her mother's lap, "What's wrong, Mommy? Why are you crying?"

Lynn hugged her daughter so tight she almost smothered her. She brushed the hair out of the little girl's eyes, "Mommy's sad because…" She started crying again and Starsky sat on the couch next to her and put April on his lap and his arm around Lynn.

"Starchy, why is Mommy sad?"

He took a deep breath and sighed, "Mommy's sad because something bad happened to your Daddy today." Lynn buried her head in Starsky's shoulder.

"What happened to Daddy?"

Starsky knew he had to choose his words very carefully so the little girl on his lap wouldn't misunderstand him. She needed to know that her Daddy was not coming home. "Your Daddy was shot today."

"Is he in the pitable?"

"No, honey he's not in the hospital."

"Is he coming home?"

"No, princess. He's not coming home." He hugged her tight and let a few of his own tears fall.

As Starsky was talking to April, Hutch was talking to Adam. When Hutch opened the door to Adam's room he saw the little boy lying face down crying into his pillow. Hutch sat next to him on the bed and gently put his hand on the boy's back, "Adam. It's okay, son."

Adam rolled over and looked at Hutch, "He's dead isn't he? Dad's not coming home, is he?"

Hutch knew he had to be honest with him as much as it would hurt, "No, he's not coming back." Adam reached out and Hutch held him as he cried. Hutch wondered if this is what it was like for Starsky all those years ago when he had been told his father had been killed in the line of duty. He wondered who had been there for him.

Adam finally asked, "What happened, Hutch? How'd my Daddy die?"

"Well, there was a robbery and Seth was shot. Your dad got between the man with the gun and Seth so he wouldn't kill Seth. He tried to shoot the man but he was shot first."

"Did it hurt when he was shot?"

That was a question that Hutch wasn't expecting. It hurt to be shot; he knew it hurt like hell. He didn't want to lie but he couldn't tell Adam the full truth either. "I don't think so. He was talking a few minutes. He told Seth to tell your Mom, you and April that he loves you very much."

"I love him too." He hugged Hutch again and held him for a few minutes. "I want to be with Mom now."

Hutch stood up and took the little boy's hand and walked into the living room. Adam sat on his Mom's lap and the three of them cried together.

Hutch took a seat next to Starsky and put his hand on his buddie's shoulder. The two looked at each other and held another quiet conversation. They felt so sad and were each glad they were there together.

Chapter 5

Saying Goodbye

Debbie finished getting ready for the funeral, looked at her husband and felt grateful that he was retired. She had lost her first husband in the line of duty as a firefighter and knew what she went through then. She knew that Lynn and the kids were going through a very difficult time. He heart ached for them as did Hutch's. He seemed to know what Debbie was thinking and hugged her, "I love you." He said as he kissed her forehead.

"Are you okay, honey? I know he was a good friend of yours."

He smiled and kissed her again, "Yeah, I'm okay."

She knew he would be okay as long as he had Starsky to talk to. They were planning on going to Huggy's later this evening. She was glad Hutch had Starsky.

Hutch walked downstairs to Davey's room just before they left to attend the funeral. Davey was trying to tie his tie. He always had a hard time with it. As Hutch fixed his tie, Davey asked, "Dad, is Seth okay? I haven't seen him much since the…" He stopped he just didn't want to say the words.

"He will be, Son. He's been talking to us and Dr. Mays."

"Dad, this could have happened to anyone, couldn't it? I mean when Starsky and I become cops…"

"Yes, it's a chance every officer takes every day."

"We have to be willing to take that chance, don't we? To take the chance that we or our partners could be killed any day."

Hutch's tone was very solemn, "Yes, Son and it's okay if you and Kenny decide you don't want to take that chance. It's okay if you decide you want to do something else with your lives."

"I'm not changing my mind, Dad. The men like the one who killed Adam Lewis have to be stopped. Someone has to be willing to put that uniform on every day and protect the people." Hutch didn't say anything he just hugged his son tightly. He felt so proud of Davey and kind of scared for him at the same time.

Kenny was sitting on the bed in his room already dressed and ready to go to the funeral when Starsky walked in, "You okay, Son?"

"Yeah, Dad. I was just thinking."

Starsky sat next to his son and put his arm around him, "What about?"

"About everything that happened. Thompson getting shot and Seth ending up with Lewis as a partner then him getting killed. All the times you or Uncle Ken were shot and almost died. And you know what?"  
"What's that?"

"Davey and I talked about it yesterday and even though it could happen to us, we still want to be cops. Even if that means one of us… well, you know." Starsky didn't know what to say. He was proud of his son and his nephew.

Lynn had thought long and hard about whether or not to let the kids attend the funeral and decided that April was too young so a friend was watching her at the house but Adam was older and really wanted to say goodbye to his dad. She just couldn't deny him that chance.

Seth and Thompson had been released from the hospital and were at the funeral. Thompson was not strong enough to walk very far and was in a wheelchair that was pushed by Austin. Seth had his arm in a sling and every officer was in their dress blues. There were officers from all over the state that came to pay their respects to one of their own. The church was packed. Somehow seeing everyone there to say goodbye to her husband and pay tribute to his life and the job he loved made it a little better.

Adam Jr. was sitting on one side of his mother and Seth was on the other side. Austin was sitting on the other side of Seth. Thompson was in back because of the wheelchair. Starsky sat next to Adam and Hutch was next to Starsky. During the service Hutch put his hand on Starsky's thigh and gave it a gentle squeeze. He knew his partner was thinking the same thing he was. 'It could have been us so many times over the years.' Starsky reached down and patted Hutch's hand. He was glad Hutch was sitting there next to him.

After they were all seated, Lynn saw the casket holding her husband and reached for the tissues she knew Seth had.

It was a short funeral but it was a wonderful tribute to Adam Lewis and his life. There was a lot said about the kind of man he was, the kind of husband and father he was and how much he loved his family and his job.

Most everything was a blur but Seth heard the minister say, "Detective Adam Lewis died saving the life of another Detective and there is no greater love of man than that. He is a true hero and I know he will be sadly missed." He sat still letting the tears flow down his cheeks. Austin reached for his brother's hand and held it tightly. By the time all was said and done there wasn't a dry eye in the place. Saying goodbye to one of their own is something no officer ever wants to do, but they feel honored to pay their respects to the fallen and their families.

Chief Sterling handed the folded flag to Adam and said, "Don't ever forget your Dad was a hero and he loved you all very much." He gently kissed Lynn on the cheek.

Later that evening after everyone left Lynn's, Starsky and Hutch took the boys to Huggy's for a small get-together of some of Adam's closest friends. Huggy had closed the place so it would just be Adam's friends there. They were met by Seth, Thompson, Austin, Martin, Reynolds, Johnson, Chief Sterling and Captains Glass and Carter. There were others that had worked with Adam Lewis over the years. They talked about the great times they had with Adam. Everyone had a story about him; like how he did something funny like tripping over his own two feet and knocking down the then Lieutenant Glass his first day on the force. There were funny stories told and some sad ones too. Adam was a well-liked, well-respected member of the department and he would be missed.

Davey thought to himself 'this is a good way to say goodbye.' He was sitting next to Kenny and said, "Starsky, this is how goodbyes should be, sitting around talking about him and sharing the memories."

"I think so too."

The days that followed were very hard for Seth. He was really struggling with the thought that Adam Lewis had died saving his life. He had talked to Dr. Mays about it. The department's policy states that when an officer dies his partner must be cleared by a psychiatrist before returning to active duty. Seth protested but deep inside he knew he needed the help. He also talked to Starsky and Hutch about how he felt.

At first he didn't want to talk to Thompson but he finally opened up to him one day when he was feeling especially down. "I'm not sure I can do this anymore. I don't think I could go through this again."

"Seth, it wasn't your fault, you know that, right?"

"Yeah, I guess so. But that's not what I mean. I can risk my own life out there on the streets. I can handle that but I'm not sure I'm willing to lose you out there."

"Seth, like you told me in the hospital, it's a chance we all take every day we wear that badge. If I die saving you, that's fine with me. Either of us could get run over by a car or trip and fall and break our necks- hell were accident prone enough for that to actually happen. Don't give up, Seth. Like Starsky and Hutch say, never surrender. But it has to be your choice. I can't make it for you and neither can anyone else."

Seth took a few weeks off to gather his thoughts about everything that happened. He had to decide for himself if he could get back out on the streets. He had to decide if he was willing to risk losing not his life but his partner's. It was a hard decision but once he made up his mind there was no changing it.

He walked into Chief Sterling's office, stood in front of him and requested to be put back on the schedule. His Chief looked at him a few minutes, studying him. He knew enough about the young detective to know that Seth was finally ready to come back. Seth knew it too. He knew that losing Lewis made him stronger somehow. It would make him a better officer. Thompson opened the door a couple minutes later and asked the chief what their next assignment was. Chief Sterling knew his team was ready to get back to work and handed them their next case.

Starsky and Hutch were at Kiko's and Hutch cringed as usual when Kiko brought out the Starsky's special. "You know, Starsk…"

"Yeah, one of these days this is going to kill me." He took a bite of his overloaded burrito.

Hutch looked across the table and smiled, "You know what else, buddy."

"Yep." He finished chewing then said, "You're glad I never surrendered to the fear of losing you as a partner and gave up." Hutch shook his head and thought how amazing it was that this man gorging himself on burritos always knew what he was thinking. "You wanna know how I know that?" Hutch just looked at him, "Cause I'm thinking the same thing, buddy. Thanks, Hutch for never giving into the fear of being left alone without me."

"Thank you for sticking it out with me too, pal."


End file.
